A few words, photos, random thoughts shared with my family and friends. If anything you see here makes you laugh or touches you in some way, please leave a comment or send me an email so I know you are out there.

And climb the stairs to the beach...

Monday, May 21, 2007

Today is a very special day. Bill, my baby, is 30 today. I just can't believe it. I spent a lot of time going through old pictures of Bill. I wish there was enough room to include more. It was lots of fun and brought a tear to my eye more than once. So here is my birthday tribute to my son Bill on the occasion of his 30th birthday.

Bill was a very cute baby. He had the most expressive face.

He laughed a lot and was a very busy little guy. And a little bit of a ham.

He was a sensitive kid who always felt things deeply. I love this picture. It was taken on a day when Angie and Cindy left after having spent a week with us on the Cape. He was so sad they were leaving. I remember when he was 5 we took him to see the movie ET. He was inconsolable afterwards because ET went home.

Bill, Mom and Doug Enjoy a McDonald's Supper. That was a treat back in those days. They thought it was funny that Mom had on a bib, too. See the Spiderman placemats?

With Grampa Petersen and Doug. I'd say Bill was about 2 in this picture and Doug was 3. He and Doug had a great relationship with their grandfather.

Here they are making a fashion statement at church the day they were baptized. Church was really important in Bill's life. Some of his best friends today were friends from Church. Same for Doug.

Here is another fashion statement. Why do mothers take pictures of naked kids? Nothing perverted, they are just cute!

Billy, as he was once called, was an inquisitive thoughtful little kid. Grampy called him Billy lump-lump and he called his grandfather Grampy Bump Bump. Don't really know why. We called him various things like Billby, Bilbo Babbins and Billy-doo-doo. It wasn't for the reason you might think. It was because before he could talk he liked to sing. He would stand up holding on to the side of his crib swaying back and forth and sing doo, doo, doo, doo,doo. He thought he was singing, but he sort of had a monotone. It was funny and maybe you had to be there, but that was his nickname for a while. FRank Sinatra made a hit record with similar lyrics, if I recall. Dooby dooby doo...

Billy was usually a happy kid, but here on the last day of camp when he was about 3 he was upset about something. Bill probably remembers what it was even now. Poor little guy.

He claims I made him a pirate every Halloween. I do have pictures of him in other costumes, but we'll just let him have his little story. Aaaargh.

Bill was so happy when his cousin Angie came along. At last there was somebody littler than he was in the family. He adored her.

She was like their little sister. What a trio.

There were several summers that Cindy and Angie went on vacation with us. We would go out on the beach at night with our 4-wheel drive. The three of them dressed appropriately for what they called "night maneuvers". They had so much fun together, those three.

And now Angie has a new baby named Billy!

Bill had lots of interests as a kid. He loved his bikes.

He liked anything with wheels, actually.

When he was learning to drive he told me he didn't need lessons. He said he already knew how to drive because he mowed the lawn with the lawn tractor. Needless to say, he took driver's ed in spite of his expertise at 5 miles an hour on grass.

He was a Scout for a while. Here is a picture of him with his friends Mike and Ian. They are still all friends today and all turning 30! Wow!

Bill and Ian and another friend, Ben, were in the fife and drum corps for a while. They really were quite good. Bill knew lots of songs and marched to Concord re-enacting the march from Sudbury to the battle of Concord and Lexington in 1776. The rest of the group were adults and these boys kept up with all of them.

Bill's Grampy Hall, (my Dad, also named Bill) used to wrestle with Bill when he was little.

Maybe that's why he was on the High School varsity wrestling team all 4 years.

Bill's look changed a little over the years, but he was always handsome, don't you think?

Sort of a collegiate look in junior high.

A more casual, long-haired look in high school and college.

His brother Doug and he are still close today. That makes me very happy now that I am so far away. It is good to know that they have each other.

And now that he has a very special person in his life, Kim, I know I never have to worry about him. I adore her and am very happy that they found each other. She keeps him in line. He doesn't always read his e-mail and I know if I send her a copy of an e-mail to Bill, she will make him read it. I think she might even tell him to call his mother once in a while. Yes, she is a good influence on him!

As you can tell, I am proud of my Bill. That cute, funny, sensitive, charming little guy is now a cute, funny sensitive charming and wonderful man who brings so much to my life and to so many others. If you know him and have a chance, add a comment to this blog or send him a Happy Birthday e-mail at nailspetersen@hotmail.com (Don't ask me why he has that address.) But if you really want him to read it, better send a copy to Kim, too at teacha05@yahoo.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL! I miss you and I wish I could be there to help you celebrate.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

What a year. Of course we have only lived together for a little over 6 months of that year, but we are officially one year married. Looking back over the past year, it seems like it was a lifetime ago that we took those vows and yet it just flew.

As hard as it is to believe, May 20th last year-12 months ago-we stood up in front of God and witnesses and celebrated a miracle...love. We promised to love, honor and cherish each other and so far, so good...in fact it has been the best.

I am so lucky to have Ed in my life. He is my treasure.Happy Anniversary, Ed!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Hope you all had a good weekend and especially a good Mother's Day. I heard from all 4 of my sons. I wish I could have seen them all, too, but not this year. Ed made me a really great breakfast and gave me a bag of golf tees and the Dream Girls dvd that I was asking for. Then we went to John and Robin's for a cook-out. They gave me a lavender colored calla lilly which I will plant in the yard. John cooked and we had a real nice visit.

I was able to get a few pictures of the kids, although it isn't easy with them on the go all the time.

They are getting so big. Zeppelin is 8 now. Just about done with second grade.

They don't stay put for long periods of time, especially little Indigo.

Grampa took this one, but Indigo decided she had already said "cheese" too many times. She says it before we are ready and 'poof' the moment is gone!

She's concentrating on the stairs.

I think the grass was tickling her feet. Always on the go.

Arabella likes to strike poses. This one is Sleeping Beauty.

This is like the Andrew Wyeth painting: "Arabella's World"

I love this one: Supermodel. She is so pretty and a real love.

And Arabella gets a smile out of Indigo...finally!

We had a great day Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful Monday. We are going golfing. I have new tees!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

I did a little traveling in April, as most of you know. First, I flew down to FL and had dinner with my mom in St. Pete and then drove over to Sarasota where my friend Ruth has a condo. It is a beautiful spot right near Siesta Key beach. Ed and I became engaged at Siesta Key beach and we spent our honeymoon at Ruth's almost a year ago. Officially we are still newlyweds for 8 more days.

Ruth was terrific to share her vacation with me and we hung out by the pool and had a great time. I met some of her friends, including her old boss from the Town of Arlington. For some reason on this trip to FL I only took a couple of pictures of the beach. I don't have any idea why I didn't take any pictures of people!

Normally we have only beautiful weather in Sarasota. And this trip was no exception other than a day or two when there were high winds. Very few were on Siesta Key Beach on this day, except for walkers and surfers.

Ruth and I drove down to Naples to see Dad and Inez for lunch one day. Dad said Inez punched him in the nose, but we know better. Just a little skin surgery the day before. This was the first time Ruth had met Dad so I am not sure what she thought! Personally, I think he had a nose job.Inez, pretty in pink, and Dad waiting outside Tommy Bahama's for a table.

Ruth drove her VW bug up to Massachusetts. I went along for the ride. It was a pleasant trip, although we did have to get up very early in the morning. We did it in 2 1/2 days.

We stopped at our house in TN the first night then on to Massachusetts, stopping once more in Wilkes-Barre, PA. We had to hurry, though, because I had a very important party to attend that Saturday morning in CT.

It was William Henry's coming out party! (That might have more than one meaning now-a-days, but you know what I mean.)

Isn't he a cutie pie? Grandma Cindy is in love- truly, madly, deeply!

There were many friends and lots of family there. Becky, Chuck and Monica, Lizzie, Corina and Eric and Sky, Doug, Bill and Kim all came from the Hall side. There were family members from the Kahn side like Irv and Lenore and Steve's sister and her family. Angie's Dad's family, the Jennette's, were well represented including Steve, the Grandpa and William Henry's great grandmother and his two great uncles. Actually this little guy has two grandfathers and a father all named Steven. Pretty confusing, but he already knows who's who.

Doug, Angie, William and William.

It was a great time in Connecticut, seeing some folks we hadn't seen in 25 years and meeting others for the very first time. To see more pictures from the gathering in CT, you can go to http://www.williamhenrysparty.snapfish.com/. You will have to register, but it is free for you to view the pix.

Once I arrived in Sudbury, my dear friends Melinda and George put me up in their house for a week. What saints they both are for doing that. Their daughter Emily let me use her car all week while she was at UNH. I did get to see their eldest, Lynn, a couple of times, but didn't get to see Emzers at all. And I spent the week getting to know their circus cats, Barnum and Bailey, who are not really getting along at all and are in need of some couple's counseling...although they are sisters and not really a couple. Hannibal, the Guinea Pig doesn't know what to think and there is some concern that it may leave permanent psychological scars.

Melinda, (Melonhead) and me.

Sunday morning, our friends Linda (Linder) and Frank hosted a fabulous brunch, gathering my closest pals, whom I hadn't seen in 6 months. Malaryn, Elizabeth, George, Linder and Kitty all admire Kitty's cranberry scones. Everyone brought something. I wonder if Frank and Linder ever drank the Mango Mama champagne I brought them. Did I tell you they are wine connoisseurs? What was I thinking? But, it was made in Sarasota so doesn't that make it a little exotic?

Linda hosted the brunch and mixed the bloody Marys. This is George, Melonhead's husband, who put up with me for a week. You might remember him in my blogs from the Biloxi crew. He was George the Foreman. He almost never drinks anything other than the occasional beer so this was kind of a momentous occasion!Linda's husband, Frankie poured the champagne-he does that so well!. A winophile (made up word but you know what I mean, right?) he only serves the best. No white Zin in this household. In this picture I am not sure if he is pretending to play the saxophone or about to thumb his nose. Whatever, he and Linder are wonderful cooks and gracious hosts and I love 'em both lots.I tried to get a picture of Rick, but as you can see the "centerpiece", borrowed from the Bloody Marys, blocked the view. So here is a better one of Ricky.Rick isn't always this serious.

It was so good to be back in the company of such close friends. Although in the past they had usually been careful to avoid too much political conversation at dinner, this time I think they found it impossible to hold it in. It had been a while since they had been together, after all. They usually are cautious because St. George and I lean a little more to the right than the rest of them, and they know it sort of bothers me. But this time I didn't care at all. They went on and on and I just sat there with a champagne induced grin on my face just happy to be back among my bleeding heart liberal friends who I know and love so much.

I miss them all so much and expect them to come visit me in TN soon! We could go to Dollywood!

The week I was visiting, mid April, there were still piles of snow in parking lots in Massachusetts while FL and TN were in the 80s that whole week. From what I hear, MA has finally welcomed some warmer weather and yesterday it was in the 80s there as well. I bet the snow is all gone from the Solomon Pond Mall now!

I really did squeeze in lots of visiting in that 10 day time. I saw both my mother and Dad and Inez and my friend Ruth in FL. In addition to everyone at the Connecticut gathering, I got to see Doug 3 times and Bill and Kim twice and Becky again for supper. I had lunch with Chuck. I had a chance to see some folks at Church as well as my dear friends at brunch. I went to the Cape to see Kathy and I had dinner one night with friends from work. I had lunch with the whole Finance Department right in the tax office on the day I left to go home...well the first day I left.

After a tearful goodbyeI got to the airport by bus and checked my bags through to Chattanooga. Wouldn't you know it, due to some really bad weather in Chicago, my flight was canceled. I had to call poor Melinda and George to tell them their house guest was coming back on the next bus. Talk about anti-climax. Can you imagine? One more night they had to put up with me. They were very gracious and welcoming, as usual, and I can't thank them enough for their friendship and hospitality. The extra night in Sudbury might have been a pain, but as luck would have it my pal Cheryl, with whom I hadn't been able to connect all week, was home that night, and we had a nice visit. Ed had to wait one more day for his bride to come home, but I finally did manage to get home to my sweetie.

And in 2 weeks we will be off on another cruise, but Ed is coming along on this trip. A week after we get back, if all goes as planned, I will be back in MA for a week on the Cape in June. (Ed will stay home and earn some money to pay for my trips.) Then home for a while before spending most of August on the Cape at our trailer. So I will be seeing some of you in Mass again very soon. The rest of you can come and see us in TN anytime...well maybe you better check to see if I will be home first!